Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1887-03-25
BLUE PAPER PARCEL.
james, cried Mr.. Tappan, ..come

Blue PAPER PARCEL.
anes, cried Mr.. Tappan, ..come
here. !.
James Baltic, IA forty second cousin
Of the house, lounged in from the
piazza, with q cigar in bis mouth, and
flung himself into q chair before Mr.
Tappan.
Well he said, '.whati is itp'
Mr.. Molly wants a clerk, I said Mr..
Tappan. Molly is an old friend Of
mine. Ny recommendation would get.
the place for you; but Molly is a very
particular man very particularindeed.
Here is his advertisement = SIS
"Strictly recommended for sobriety and
honesty A Christian young man pre-
ferred'' .g 4 y
.'.Well, I m. not in the habit Of drink
ling OF stealing said James.
''And you won't mind leaving off
smoking during the dayP' asked Mr..
Tappan.
..Oh me!'' said James. II don't
mind that; and I'll have tracts in my
pockets continually, and be caught
reading them now and then, if it's re-
CURED 81.
"James, don't laugh at serious
things said his cousin. 5
81 was in earnest said James.
81 am now, anyhow. Well let's have
the note Of recommendation. I'll step
over to Mr.. Nolly's at once" "a
'4You can't do that said Cousin
Tappan. ..You must call tomorrow at
ten. And Mr.. Molly expects his clerk
to board IN the establishment. A very
respectable old lady-one Mrs. Grobe
boards all the young men in the upper
part of the building. Every one expect
ed to be in at ten, and to attend Sunday
morning service at some church, as
well to be regular at morning prayers,
which Mr.. Nolly's head clerk, Mr.. Blee,
always leads. A very excellent, serious
young man is Mr.. Blee." I'd.
James looked Respondent. However,
he had had no situation for some time,
and his best hat was growing seedy.
He determined to go to Mr.. Nolly's, and
IS he expressed it, .'try if he could
stand it, &@ s.
Consequently, on the next morning,
James Baltic started, dressed in his
best suit andhis plainest gloves and tie,
to see Mr.. Molly. He took a stage to
reach his destination; and when he en-
tered, half a dozen people beside him.
self, occupied the seats. One by one,
however, they got down at different
corners, until at last there remained,
beside himself, only one gentleman,
who held tightly to blue paper parcel
tied with red and white cord, and
peered anxiously out at every corner,
as though fearful of missing his street.
! James Baltic watched him culiously,
and above all, wondered what the
paper parcel contained. Something
very valuable, doubtless, by the care
he took of it. Rolls of money, perhaps;
who knewP Sets Of jewelry-anything
4 one conld imagine-an and by and by,
being Of very acquisitive disposition,
James began to wish that that precious
blue paper parcel were his own.
! There are people, in respectable
society, too, who are not able to trust
| themselves for honesty, They would
not steal, but they do the next thing to
it. James Baltic was one of these
people. After awhile he saw the
gentleman lay the parcel on the cush-
ion, and the thought came into his
mind:
| "He may forget it, III
4 And then the young man purposely
looked another way, lest, the parcel
being lett, his conscience should require
him to call after the owner. Some
how he had presentiment that it
would be left. At last the driver
called through the little peep-hole
where he took the money: "
+. "Here you are, sir! Warren street!''
1 And then the gentleman instantly
made a dash for the door. aa .~.....
| JdlucS ulu uOt SldHCo tO"dIu I'LL,
but he fancied that something blue
caught his eye after the stage stopped.
When it had gone on q block, he
looked at the seat his companion had
vacated, and found that his PRESENT.
ment had been realized. There lay the
blue paper parcel. James Baltic in
stantly vacated his seat and sat beside
it. X
| Other people entered the stage, and
when he descended at--street, he
took the parcel with him. It was
really quite heavy. What could it bep
No matter, he could open it after a
while and see.
Just now he must think of Mr.. Nollye
And Mr.. Molly was close at hand as h
entered the office, and received him
very kindly.
..Mr. Tappan's introduction is
enough,o he said. .You know the
regulations Of my establishment, for
the young mems own good for their
own good. No drinking, very little